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McCain to visit Grand Junction on Election Day

Candidate to speak at 11:45 a.m. at West Star

Republican presidential candidate John McCain will make an 11th-hour campaign stop in Grand Junction on Tuesday.

The Arizona senator’s plane is scheduled to land at Grand Junction Regional Airport around 11:30 a.m.

McCain will then speak to supporters at West Star Aviation Hangar No. 2858 at 11:45 a.m., according to Tom Kise, spokesman for McCain in Colorado.

Doors to the hangar will open at 8:30 a.m. Campaign officials say no tickets will be handed out, making it a first-come, first-serve event.

Officials are asking those who want to attend to register by visiting McCain’s Web site, http://www.johnmccain.com, e-mailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or calling his Colorado office at 303-952-4670.

McCain is expected to make five to seven other stops across the country on Election Day before flying home to Arizona to host a party that night.

His visit will come two weeks after his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, held a rally at Suplizio Field at Lincoln Park.

“Western Colorado will play a pivotal role in electing the next president, and if anyone had any doubt, John McCain being here on Election Day should dispel that,” said state Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction.

Even though McCain will visit only hours before Mesa County’s vote centers close at 7 p.m., Penry said he believes it will spur some to head to the polls.

“Don’t leave any stone unturned,” he said of reaching out to voters at the last minute.

As of Friday, nearly 64 percent of Mesa County’s 75,983 active voters had voted early or turned in their mail ballots, according to Mesa County elections officials.